Billabong Junior Series

Surfing South Africa
Victoria Bay South Africa
9 - 12 August 2007

High scoring as Vic Bay turns on for third day of Billabong Junior Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 11 August, 2007 : - - South Africa’s best 20-year-old and younger surfers took full advantage of great conditions for the third day of the Billabong Junior Series event at Victoria Bay on Saturday, scoring freely in the excellent category as they were able to use their full repertoire of radical manoeuvres on each ride.

Consistent one to 1.5 metre (3-5 foot) waves peeled 150 metres from the take-off spot to the pier as weekend crowds lined the point in warm but variable weather that ranged from glassy and sunshine, through offshore to onshore late in the day. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) set the tone with an outstanding combination of high risk manoeuvres to earn 8.0 on the first ride of the day and went on win his Pro-Junior (U20) boys round of 32 heat

Josh Redman (Umdloti) demolished his opponents in the next heat followed by an inspired performance from Wesley Grey (Kommetjie) before the Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) showed his class and Brandon Jackson (Durban North) recorded the highest heat total of the event with 17.5 (out of 20) with rides of 9.0 and 8.5.

The round of 16 held later in the day saw top seed Brandon Roberts (Sun Valley, CT) back to his best, advancing along with Redman to the man-on-man quarterfinals where they were joined in the top half of the draw by Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) and Grey.

Brandon Roberts : photo Silver Bullet Productions

Palmboom produced another polished performance, racking up an 8.0 and a 7.75 to progress alongside second placed Brett Shearer (Kommetjie) and then Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francs), the current No. 1 in the U16 division, cut loose with a vertical attack that saw him net 9.0 and 7.75 point rides that left Jackson comboed in second place.

The Pro Junior girls were whittled down to the last eight with Vic Bay locals  Bianca Buitendag (George) and Adele Nortje (Mossel Bay) both winning their quarterfinals while Kommetjie girls finished first, second and third in their match up, with top seed Tarryn Chudleigh and Holly Armstrong getting the nod over Tanika Hoffman.

They will be joined in tomorrow’s semifinals by Sarah Baum (Athlone Park) and Faye Zoetmulder from Port Elizabeth who combined to oust Heidi Palmboom (Bluff). Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) and Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) produced a ding dong battle for supremacy in the U16 boys’ quarters with the lead changing hands several times before Gibbens clinched victory.

Ryan Klynsmith (Winkelspruit) employed some wicked hooks under the lip of the waves on his backhand to upstage Godfrey in their match-up and Matt Bromley (Kommetjie) continued his assault on the ratings by progressing ahead of Jacob Mellish (Somerset West).

Nicholas Godfrey : photo Silver Bullet Productions

The U12 boys quarters were sent in as the onshore wind arrived late in the day but that didn’t phase 11 year-old Benji Brand (Kommetjie) whose powerful turns belied his tender age as he earned 9.0 and 8.0 point rides from judges for a heat tally that was second only to 20 year-old Brandon Jackson on the day.

Josh Smit (Athlone Park) placed second behind Brand despite riding into the rocks on one wave and dinging his board by riding directly into the pier on another before reigning U12 series champ and defending event champ Max Armstrong (Kommetjie) took victory in his heat over JJ Harris (Scottburgh).

Refusing to be intimidated by the overhead waves and onshore conditions, local Daniel Buitendag (George) posted victory over opening day standout Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand) and they will be up against Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay), the top two in the 2007 series ratings, in the second semifinal on Sunday.

The fourth of five events on the R220 000 Billabong Junior Series is heading for an epic showdown on Sunday with light winds, sunshine and a dropping swell that should still provide plenty of waves predicted for the semifinals and finals of all five divisions.

The spectacular Von Zipper Air Show will be one of the highlights of the final day as the country’s ‘high-flyers’ take to the air with the best completed aerial manoeuvre earning the winner-takes-all R1 800 prize-purse. The Billabong Junior Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, and proudly supported by First National Bank, Palmers, Kustom, Von Zipper, Red Bull and Silver Bullet Productions

Previous reports:
# 1 : Billabong Junior Series Victoria Bay set to kick off Aug 9
# 2 : Billabong Junior Series rolling into Victoria Bay Thursday
# 3 : Billabong Junior Series Victoria Bay kicks off in great surf
# 4 : Girls go ballistic on day #2 at Billabong Jr Series Vic Bay

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